Propelling means



Patented Sept.- 6, 1932 UNITED STATES ROBERT 2B. HARRIS, or nousron, TEXAS PROPELLING mums 7 Application filed March 7,

This invention relates to propelling means and has particular relation to manually operable means for propelling water craft.

An object of the invention is to provide propelling means for boats'and the like which may be manually operated and readily adjusted for depth and for steering purposes.

Another object of the invention resides in novel manually operable meansfor driving the propeller.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for mounting the propelling means on the boat.

Another object is to provide by the propelling means of such construction that the same may be readily collapsed so as to be easily portable.

Another object is to provide a portable propelling means for a boat which includes novel means for attaching the propelling means to the boat and which is equipped with driving cranks that may be adjusted vertically for the convenience of the operator.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein: I

Figure 1 shows a side view of the propelling means partly in section and shown attached to a boat.

Figure 2 shows a plan view thereof, and

Figure 3 shows an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures the numeral 1 designates an inverted U-shape bracket which may be clamped to the stern of the boat by means of the clamp bolts 2, 2. Secured to opposite sides of this bracket 1 are the clamp bars 3, 3 which are attached to the bracket by means of the upper and lower bolts 4, 5 and the upper and lower ends of these bars carry the rearwardly extendinoupper and lower pairs of arcuate clamp members 6, 6 and 7, 7 clamped between which are the bearings as 8, 8. WVorking through these hearings 1932., sum to, 597,262.

there is a tubular housing 9 and. clamped above the clamps 6 there is an adjustable collar 10 which may be clamped in place on the housing by a suitable set screw as 11.

Fastened on the lower end of the housing 9 there is a rearwardly turned bearing housing 12 retained in which there are the antifriction bearings 13.

There is a forwardly extending tubular housing 14 which is connected to the housing 9 by means of a tubular flexible coupling 15. Fastened to the forward end of the housing 14 there is a gear case 16 and extending transversely through this case there is a crank shaft A 17 whose opposite ends have the cranks 18,18 fixed thereon and fixed on the crank shaft 17 within the casing 16' there is a bevel gear 19,

' There is a flexible driving shaft 20 whose forward end has a pinion 21 fixed thereon and ,7

in mesh with the gear 19. This driving shaft '20 is housed within the housing 9,- 14, 15 and the rear end of this driving shaft is turned rearwardly. through the bearings 13 and has the propeller 22 fixed thereon. This propel- M ler may be adjusted to the desired depth by an appropriate adjustment of the collar 10. The shaft '20 may be driven manually through the cranks 18, 18 in an obvious manner and the propeller 22 thereby driven and the housing 9 readily-rotated in its'bearin so as to swlngthepropeller 22 laterally relative to the boat 23,-for steering purposes.

- There are the arcuate brackets 24, 24 Whose lower ends are attached to the upper end of theahousing 9 and these brackets embrace the housing. 14 and have arcuate slots 25, 25 through which the bolts 26, 26, carried by the housing 14, extend and threaded onto the outer endsof these bolts are the winged clampnuts 27, 27 by means of which the brackets 24 may be clamped to the housing 14. Thenuts 27 maybe loosened and the housing 14 adjusted to the desired elevation and there secured in fixed position. I

By loosening the clamp bolts 2 the propelling device may be removed as a unit from the boat and the nuts 27 may then be loos ened and the housing 14 swung down into approximately parallel relation with the housing 9 thus collapsing the propelling apparatus so that it may be more readily handled and transported when not in use.

The drawing and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred form of the invention by way of illustration only, while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by theappended claims.

What I claim is: v H

-1. A boat propelling device comprising a bracket adapted to be attached to a boat, up-

per and lower clamp means on said bracket,

bearings in said clamp means, a tubular shaft housing 1n sa1d bearings, means for ad ust1ng said housmg in sa1d bearings, the lower end of said housing having a rearwardlyturned portion provided with a shaft bearing, a flexible tubular coupling attached to the upper endof said housing, a forwardly extended tubular housing attached to said flexible cou pling, a flexible shaft extending through said housings and coupling, manually operable means operatively connected with, and

adapted to drive, said shaft the rearend of said shaft working throughsaid shaftbearing and a propeller fixed to the rear end of said shaft.

2. A boat propelling device comprising tubular housings, flexible, tubular means connecting said housings together, a flexible driving means in saidhousings, a propeller 011 one end of said driving means, means for manually rotating said .driving means, ad-

justable 'means connecting said housings and adapted to secure them fixed in a selected position'relative to each other. 3. A boat propelling device comprising tubular shaft housings, a flexible, tubular coupling connecting said housings, a flexible propeller shaft extending through said housings andcoupling, a gearcase on one housing,

a crank shaft in said case, gears in said case operatlvely connectlng sa1d shafts, means for rotating said crank shaft, a bearing on the 7 other. housing through which the propeller shaft extends, a propeller fixed on the extended end of the propeller shaft, an arcuate bracket fixed tov one of said housings and having an adjustable connection with the other housing.

4:. A boat propelling device comprising tubular housings, flexible, tubular means connecting said housings together, a flexible driving means in said housings, a propeller on one end of said driving means, means for manually rotating said driving means, adjustable means connecting said housings and adapted to secure them fixed in a selected position relative to each other, and means for adjustably and rotatably attaching the device to the boat to be propelled.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. I

ROBERT B. HARRIS, 

